BBC 6/1/10
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford puts in transfer request
Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford has handed in a transfer request, his agent has told BBC Radio 5 live.
Beckford, 26, scored his 20th goal of the seaspm as they clinched a shock 1-0 win at Manchester United in round three of the FA Cup on Sunday.
He has been linked with a move away from the League One leaders to Championships side Newcastle.
Beckford, who joined the Elland Road outfit from non-League Wealdstone in 2006, is out of contract in the summer.
Leeds manager Simon Grayson said after the FA Cup win at Old Trafford that they were not looking to sell Beckford, but that "money talks".
And he added that if they did let him go, he would not go cheaply.
Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has already spoken of his desire to take Beckford to Tyneside but says he will be patient in his pursuit of the striker.
Times 5/1/10
The curse finally lifts for Leeds United
Rick Broadbent
It may affront more reasoned sensibilities, but football is at its best when it involves a healthy dose of raw hate.
Which is why if you are from Leeds, the humbling of Manchester United is the most emotionally satisfying result since the Don Revie era.
It was not the best result because Leeds have been to the European Cup final and won league titles in the interim. But taken in splendid isolation, this was better than seeing off AC Milan in 2000, Bournemouth in 1990 or even Barcelona in 1975. It was lustrous because Leeds are not very good anymore, because suddenly we fans felt like we were not cursed, and because, as Lord Byron, pointed out: “Hatred is by far the longest pleasure.” And we hate Manchester United. We hate them because we think they are arrogant.
We hate them because people forget they did not win the league title in 25 years until they succeeded Leeds in 1993. We hate them because Sir Alex Ferguson is treated with sickly sycophancy by media pundits whereas Revie’s faults are still rehashed three decades on. We hate them for the flag shown on Sunday bearing Eric Cantona’s face and the slogan “Thanks a million”; nobody mentions that they gave us Johnny Giles, Gordon Strachan and three league championships.
We hate them for being lucky against Bayern Munich in 1999 because we weren’t in 1975. Because commentators call them “United”, as if they are the only ones. We hate them for getting good and yes, most of all, we hate them for being so loved.
The phone-in fans and message-board posters agreed about the scale of Sunday’s best. “Given where we are, the best result ever,” wrote one in cyberspace.
“In context, our greatest ever result,” added another. In the Yorkshire Evening Post, Gary Edwards, the Leeds fan who refuses to use red paint in his decorating business, said: “They can bring on anybody now — even a big team.” The fact that Leeds deserved the victory, unlike in 1981, was an added bonus and glimpse of a far-off future, but the joy was in the here and now. The joy of hearing Ferguson, for all his massive advantages, gibbering about stoppage time. The joy of apologists saying it was a second-string side, not realising that our first-choice team now play elsewhere in the Premier League.
Football neutrals will tell you hate has no place in sport, and if it takes an offensive or violent form then they are obviously right, but dislike does not really cut it. No Leeds fan thinks we have the remotest chance of winning the FA Cup, but they also know winning isn’t everything — inflicting defeat is just as good.
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford puts in transfer request
Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford has handed in a transfer request, his agent has told BBC Radio 5 live.
Beckford, 26, scored his 20th goal of the seaspm as they clinched a shock 1-0 win at Manchester United in round three of the FA Cup on Sunday.
He has been linked with a move away from the League One leaders to Championships side Newcastle.
Beckford, who joined the Elland Road outfit from non-League Wealdstone in 2006, is out of contract in the summer.
Leeds manager Simon Grayson said after the FA Cup win at Old Trafford that they were not looking to sell Beckford, but that "money talks".
And he added that if they did let him go, he would not go cheaply.
Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has already spoken of his desire to take Beckford to Tyneside but says he will be patient in his pursuit of the striker.
Times 5/1/10
The curse finally lifts for Leeds United
Rick Broadbent
It may affront more reasoned sensibilities, but football is at its best when it involves a healthy dose of raw hate.
Which is why if you are from Leeds, the humbling of Manchester United is the most emotionally satisfying result since the Don Revie era.
It was not the best result because Leeds have been to the European Cup final and won league titles in the interim. But taken in splendid isolation, this was better than seeing off AC Milan in 2000, Bournemouth in 1990 or even Barcelona in 1975. It was lustrous because Leeds are not very good anymore, because suddenly we fans felt like we were not cursed, and because, as Lord Byron, pointed out: “Hatred is by far the longest pleasure.” And we hate Manchester United. We hate them because we think they are arrogant.
We hate them because people forget they did not win the league title in 25 years until they succeeded Leeds in 1993. We hate them because Sir Alex Ferguson is treated with sickly sycophancy by media pundits whereas Revie’s faults are still rehashed three decades on. We hate them for the flag shown on Sunday bearing Eric Cantona’s face and the slogan “Thanks a million”; nobody mentions that they gave us Johnny Giles, Gordon Strachan and three league championships.
We hate them for being lucky against Bayern Munich in 1999 because we weren’t in 1975. Because commentators call them “United”, as if they are the only ones. We hate them for getting good and yes, most of all, we hate them for being so loved.
The phone-in fans and message-board posters agreed about the scale of Sunday’s best. “Given where we are, the best result ever,” wrote one in cyberspace.
“In context, our greatest ever result,” added another. In the Yorkshire Evening Post, Gary Edwards, the Leeds fan who refuses to use red paint in his decorating business, said: “They can bring on anybody now — even a big team.” The fact that Leeds deserved the victory, unlike in 1981, was an added bonus and glimpse of a far-off future, but the joy was in the here and now. The joy of hearing Ferguson, for all his massive advantages, gibbering about stoppage time. The joy of apologists saying it was a second-string side, not realising that our first-choice team now play elsewhere in the Premier League.
Football neutrals will tell you hate has no place in sport, and if it takes an offensive or violent form then they are obviously right, but dislike does not really cut it. No Leeds fan thinks we have the remotest chance of winning the FA Cup, but they also know winning isn’t everything — inflicting defeat is just as good.